[addtoany]

It’s local pandering at its most shameless and we’re totally into it.

As the Seahawks got back in action with a preseason drubbing of the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is bringing back a promotion popular among twelfies. Show up at Sea-Tac rocking your No. 3 Russell Wilson jersey and Alaska staff will let you board your flight early. Lay claim to overhead compartment space and establish armrest dominance while the poor souls who bought Sidney Rice jerseys are still struggling to connect to terminal wi-fi. The promo extends through the end of the Seahawks regular season.

For an industry that as a whole does nothing cool for anyone ever, we welcome this hometown pandering with open arms. The All-American quarterback with a golden arm, poster-boy smile and impeccable fashion sense is a marketer’s dream. So, it’s no wonder that Alaska has cheekily anointed our pigskin hero as its [groan] “Chief Football Officer.”

It’s probably safe to say that corporations won’t be lining up for similar sponsorship deals with the Hawks’ outspoken defensive end Michael Bennett, who sat on the bench during the national anthem on Sunday. Bennett’s silent protest followed a similar move by former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch this weekend. Lynch, who’s still beloved in Washington (and apparently Indiana), took a seat during the patriotic tune when his Oakland Raiders opened its preseason on Friday.